Maintaining Denver Hardscapes and Walkways in Winter

October 21, 2015

If current forecasts hold true, the coming winter in Denver is going to be rough. Snow could be coming early, and often. This makes it difficult not just for neighborhood and city streets, but also for your walkways and other Denver hardscape work around your home. You’ve invested time and money into your walkways, not only for increased value and improved aesthetics, but to also add functioning pathways to your car, garage, entryways, and other areas of your property. Now is the time to prepare for the winter season so you aren’t faced with more serious problems when the snow starts falling.

Check for Potential Problems Early – After the last yard clean up of the fall, get ready for the Colorado winter season by clearing the hardscape paths and walkways of any lawn tools, big and small rocks, and any other debris. This will make clearing your paths much easier when the snow starts to fall and and when ice begins to accumulate. In addition to clearing your yard and walkways , you should also look for cracks and other potential problem areas in your pavers. The extreme Colorado temperature changes can make cracks worsen over the winter months which in turn can make spring repairs expensive. Identifying any cracks now, as well as low spots where water can puddle and collect and fixing them in the fall is far cheaper than waiting until spring.

Drainage System Check – Making sure your drainage system is carrying water away from your hardscapes is extremely important. All water should flow safely away from your home and walkways. If it doesn’t, and water and snow spill over onto your pathways, it can seep beneath. Over the winter months, as this water builds up and freezes, it can make your hardscapes rise in spots and sink in others. This causes cracks and other severe damage.

Safety First – Millions of slips and falls happen every year, along with tens of thousands of injuries. Your walkways and pathways should be cleared with every snowfall and made as safe as possible. If you shovel instead of using a blower or an electric broom, make sure you do not use a metal shovel. Metal shovels can chip away at expensive hardscape work and create safety hazards, not to mention the unappealing damage you’ll do. If your local hardware store only has metal shovels to choose from, find one with a rubber edge.

Leave it to the Pros – Trying to fix the problem areas of your Denver hardscapes yourself isn’t advised. It takes a professional with the proper tools and experience to repair and install your walkways and pathways. Proper leveling and irrigation is necessary to keep your walkways safe throughout the entire winter, without doing additional damage that will cost you more in the later months. Snow removal should also be left to the pros.

Give My Landscaper a call today to find out how we can make your driveways and walkways safe in a fraction of the time!